Question by Amanee o: How can I persuade my mom to put the dog down?
we have a dog who is isn’t old yet but had has hip dysplasia , has to get his ligaments tightened, throws up all the time and is constantly have hard stool so he has a hard time using the bathroom, we have taken him to the vet and they constantly have to give his shots because the muscle’s in his back legs keep shrinking, there is barley anything they can do at this point. He sits in one spot of the house for hours because he can’t move we have to carry him outside and bring the food and water to him. He has had hip problems ever since he was 2 years old and he has constantly been in and out the vet for years. They can tightened his ligaments however it cost at the least 800 bucks and we don’t have that kind of money. We constantly spend money on painkillers, and I honestly think it’s time for him to go he is suffering way to much I tried to tell her but she is just saying that I want the dog gone and that he will get better someday, I always point out how he is losing weight very fast now, he is always dehydrated which I think is the reason for his constipation. I really need help with this I don’t know what to say?. Do you have to be 18 to take your dog to the vet to be put down? Please let me know ASAP )=

Best answer:

Answer by khawkk
hes suffering, do you really want someone we love to suffer. its for the best..

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Question by Forever ♥: My dog has an unusual walk?
I have a 14-month old female Black Labrador. I’ve owned her since she was 4 months old. Health wise she’s had no problems at all. But i’m starting to get paranoid about hip dysplasia; she doesn’t have a normal 4-beat walk, she walks with her right front & hind leg together and her left front & hind leg together, with no diagonal…if you get me?
I was thinking could that be because of a hip problem or just an unusual gait? As i said she seems perfectly healthy and happy.
Thanks in advance

Best answer:

Answer by tiptoptraining
This might be pacing, a particular kind of gait, often happens in dogs who are tired or have poor conformation.

http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20DOGS/Writing/confgait.html

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Question by Kari: TPO Surgery?
My 11 month old black lab goes in for his TPO surgery (for hip dysplasia) tomorrow. Has anyone gone through this with their dog? I am sad and scared for him and have had several second opinions and this was the best choice for him. I understand that there is a long recovery process and luckily I will be home to be able to care for him. Any advice from someone who has been through this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and Please keep Jake in your prayers. : )
Just wanted to update everyone Jakes surgery went perfectly “as the Dr. put it” He will be able to come home on Friday July 11. Then the fun begins with taking care of him and trying to keep him calm thanks for all the replies.

Best answer:

Answer by Sierra H
yes ,it was vary hard 4 us 2, and i will deffinatly keep him in my prayers . good luck.

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Question by aamuraya: AKC obedience: what are the rules on lameness in the dog?
I have an older Great Dane with her CD. I would like to get her CDX but she is lame in her hip. It is not an injury, it’s either arthritis or dysplasia and as long as I warm her up she doesnt limp too much. I remember a dog in one of my Novice A classes at a show that was lame and they let her show. I need to know the rules, but I cant find my AKC rule book.l

Best answer:

Answer by metzger52365
You should be able to answer any questions you have on their website

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Question by King Les The Lofty: Your GSD or Lab with severe HD is needed – will you help?
The VALUE of DNA testing lies in identifying actual alleles that are damaging, and thus breeders can ENSURE that they don’t double up on “bad” recessives. An example is that Dr Mark Neff is currently attempting to track down the alleles that work together to produce hip dysplasia. Anyone who has access to a severely afflicted GSD or Labrador should contact
http://www.handicappedpets.com/articles/…
to get instructions plus the form for reimbursement of costs, then have a sample taken & post it in.
Afflicted litter-mates are especially valuable. The dogs need not be KC-regd, just not mixed-breeds or other breeds.
(He specifies just the two breeds so that he won’t be sidetracked by possible variations between breeds – it is easier to extend a study once the ground-breaking has been done than it is to start with EVERYTHING a possibility)
Les P, owner of GSD_Friendly: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/gsd_f…
You are welcome to do it.

Animal_Artwork: I doubt OFA are keen for the huge percentage of layoffs once their radiologists become redundant. But they might wish to become the prime source for supplying the allele listings if Mark succeeds.

Best answer:

Answer by MASTIFF MOM
This a great program great needed resurch to benafit all dogs , I encourage any one who qualifys to contact Dr Mark Neff

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Question by Cassie-Dane & Bully Breed lover: I have an important question about a puppy…english mastiff?
I know I posted this earlier…but more advice wont hurt

Ok. So we might be buying a 4 month old mastiff pup. (She said that she expects him to be 180-200 by the time he is 3)
This pup has lived outside his whole life. Will it be really difficult to get him used to living inside? What should I look out for? I am going to crate him until he is potty trained and I can trust him in the house.
Will potty training him be really hard?
Is there any other advice you could give to me? Anything and everything is appreciated!

and yes he is UTD on shots and everything. she says he has a great temperament.

so @ 4 months I would be able to get him neutered then right? I know some people say different things…but whats the general healthy age?

I’m going to enroll him in obedience of course and hopefully do CGC

we have an almost 2 yr old spayed female great dane with hip dysplasia (which we are getting treated) and we have a 4 year old spayed female boxer/airedale mix. both are great dogs.

and we feed candiae als. is that acceptable for him? and do gentle leader head collars work well on pure bred mastiffs? if he is about 4 months old…what size crate should I use?

thank you all!!
I dont have him yet. I just wanted to plan ahead
just a pet.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff41/hotelcali2202/left.jpg

he is the one on the left
he’s 10 weeks in that pic

Best answer:

Answer by Shannon E.
measure the puppy first then use a certain size crate that fits.

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Question by I Can’t believe I’m: DS: Early or late spaying? *Please help*?
I am planning to buy a female German Shepherd and I have heard lots of stuff from lots of websites and forums.
I’ve heard that dogs spayed at 6 months grow way taller then normal and have more brittle bones because they needed their hormones. So because of that, Hip Dysplasia chances are increased and that’s like a doubly whammy to a GSD.
But if they are spayed before their first/second heat, the chances of mammary cancer is reduced significantly.

I’ve also hears that dogs that are spayed around 1-2 years old are better physically and emotionally.
Though the chance of mammary cancer is 1 in 4.

SO, what would you guys do and recommend?
Crap, another source says that when spayed, the growth hormones are slowed so bones get stronger?

Best answer:

Answer by Domo San
I’ve spayed my female morkie [maltese yorkie mix] right on her 6th month mark. before she started on her heat. She’s healthy and happy. My gf spayed her dog on her 3rd year and she has a maltese. So I don’t know. It is beneficial either way. So get your dog spayed. =]

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Question by Magic Lyn *Taking A Break*: Hey DS! What should I look for the MOST in an English Bulldog breeder? Plus… Should GOOD breeders advertise?
Hello once again

No, not getting another dog now, as far as I know… Nope. I think I’m going to wait until I’m living on my own and I find some place to put my feet up here in NYC. And when that time comes – a few years, maybe? – I’d like to bring home an ENGLISH BULLDOG.

Why an English Bulldog? I don’t know. It’s always been a childhood dream for me to get an English Bulldog. I have discovered that I love them over the past years. They are probabilly one of my favourite breeds, along with the GR’s and Samoyeds and APBT’s and GSD’s.

I have a LOT of time, trust me. However, I was wondering, what should I look for the MOST in an English Bulldog breeder? And the LEAST? Because it usually changes from breed to breed… For example, you would rather die than buying a GSD whose parents weren’t tested for Hip Dysplasia, you know what I mean (can’t really think of a good example right now).

PLUS… Should GOOD breeders advertise in newspapers, internet, etc.? I know it’s commonly used by BYB’s, but do GOOD breeders do it? 3 of my dogs are adopted. The other one came from an excelent breeder who DIDN’T advertise. I found him through a friend of friends and turned out to be really great.

Hmmm… Legit, what should I ask? Ah, I know!

Legit: When adopting from a purebred from a shelter, do you research where it came from? (BYB, Puppy Mill, Reputable Breeder, etc.)?

Best answer:

Answer by Tiffany
a long health guarantee. these dogs have a lot of health problems, so i would get a 2 year health guarantee, preferably longer. the breeder should be confident that the puppies they’ve bred are healthy.

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Question by Cody_99_911@yahoo.com: I am seeking advice on my sick bully.?
Hello,
My name is Cody and I have an 11 month old bully named tater that I paid ,000 for. He has head bobbing syndrome, hip dysplasia, and luxating patellas, which has lead to 2 torn ACL’s. We spoke to an orthapedic surgeon and it is $ 4,000 per ACL repair. We are really concerned about tater. We also think tater has a nerous disorder. He has these very weird moods where he starts shaking and tries to attack our other dogs. We really,really, really love our baby tater. Several people are telling us its a mistake to keep dumping money into a dog that is going to still be miserable after ,000 worth of surgeries. The only other thinkg we can think of is finding a vet that could take him in and would be able to give him the care he needs. We just have no idea what to do and would love advice from some experts. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Best answer:

Answer by ReggieR
When you say bully do you mean english bulldog? I would seriously talk to the breeder, due to the fact some of these issues are genetic issues. You might call a vet school and see if they would be willing to help. What have the breeders of this dog said about all these diseases? Good LucK

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Question by Chloe: The vet said my 7-week-old pup has a slight overbite, should I be worried?
Could it get worse? She can eat and drink just fine. It’s not physically visible. I have no plans of showing her. She is a Shetland Sheepdog and from the research I’ve done, I see that the breed is prone to teeth problems. The vet said there are no genetic tests (like how they can do hip dysplasia) to determine if over-bites and under-bites are in the lines. I talked to the breeder and she said that none of her dogs have this problem or none of the dogs that she knows of in the lineage had the problem. She felt bad though and offered to pay any bills if the puppy should require any surgeries which was very nice of her.

Best answer:

Answer by Dragonfry
Don’t panic yet, the face may change with time. But overbites do happen in a lot of long faced breeds. If it is only slight then you really have nothing to worry about. People have overbites all the time and unless you get braces its not going to do you any harm. Braces just manually correct the problem. But are painful and annoying. If you planning on spaying her then wait until she has had one heat so she can have time to mature. Just make sure she doesn’t get bred. Then spay her and enjoy a long and happy life with your dog.

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